personally

Personally is an adverb used to indicate that a statement reflects the speaker's own opinion, feelings, or personal involvement. It can also signal that an action is performed by the speaker in person rather than by someone else.

Common uses include introducing a personal opinion, as in "Personally, I think this approach would work better," or describing first-hand involvement, as in "I personally spoke to the manager." The word foregrounds subjectivity or direct experience and is often placed at the beginning of a clause for emphasis.

Etymology: The form comes from personal + -ly, from Latin persona "person" via Old French; the sense shifted from "in person" to indicate personal opinion and involvement. The sense "in person" is still evident in phrases like "I will be there personally."

Usage notes: While common in spoken and written English, personally can be overused or seen as hedging in formal contexts. In such cases, more neutral phrasing like "In my view" or "I believe" may be preferred. The word is used in American and British English and is found in dictionaries with definitions centered on subjective stance or direct involvement.